Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission announced that the by-election for the Nuapada Assembly constituency in Odisha is set for November 11. Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R S Gopalan stated at a press conference that results will be declared on November 14. A formal gazette notification for the by-election will be released on October 13, with candidates able to submit their nominations until October 20. The scrutiny of nomination papers is scheduled for October 22, and the entire electoral process is expected to conclude by November 16. Gopalan mentioned that the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is now in effect in Nuapada district. Candidates with criminal backgrounds must disclose this information through newspapers and television on three occasions during the campaign.
Political parties that nominate such candidates are also obligated to publicize the candidates’ criminal histories three times. The constituency has an electorate of 248,000, including 126,000 female voters, although the final electoral roll will be published by October 10. There are 2,007 voters aged over 85, who will cast their votes via postal ballot from their homes. A total of 358 polling stations will be established for the by-election, with each station accommodating no more than 1,200 voters. Gopalan confirmed that webcasting will be available at all polling booths across Nuapada during the by-election. Sufficient EVMs and VVPATs have been allocated for the constituency.
Voters will not be permitted to bring mobile phones into the polling booths; facilities will be provided outside for their storage. Only polling officers will be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the booths. The by-election was called following the death of MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8 due to health issues. Dholakia served as a four-time MLA for the Nuapada seat, being elected to the State Assembly in 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019, and was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik Cabinet from 2022 until 2024. His passing has reduced the number of BJD MLAs in the 147-member assembly to 50, while the BJP has 78, Congress has 14, CPI(M) has one, along with three Independent legislators.
